First reading Acts 8:5-8,14-17
They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit
Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!
‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Second reading 1 Peter 3:15-18
In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life
Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.
Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.
Gospel John 14:15-21
I shall ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’
___________________________________________
The Holy Spirit, our Companion
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us, “I will not leave you orphans.” This is the heart of Christian life: we belong to God, and so, we are not alone. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is not an abstract force but a living presence that guides, strengthens, and reminds us that we are deeply loved, especially in moments of doubt, failure, or discouragement.
Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, meaning that He is the one who stands beside us, speaks for us, and supports us. Thus, we are never left to figure out life, decisions, or struggles on our own. Each day, the Holy Spirit actively guides us in very concrete ways, helping us walk the path of what is true, good and loving that aligns with God’s heart, and shaping our hearts to love unconditionally, just as Jesus does.
Reflective Question:
What makes it challenging for me to trust or recognise the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
